I actually started a thread about a shrimp set up and got tons of feedback, and except for established tank water the tank can be relatively new. When I set mine up, I will seed it from another tank, and stick in one or two of my fish from another tank to keep ammonia in the tank while I wait to buy my shrimps...and as planted as it will be and with seeding, no fish should experience any spike at all in ammonia or nitrite.

I hear endlers are short lived, but they are cool. With a single DP in a 5 gal, a weekly 50% water change is all you would need as special care other than a soft shelled pond snail or bladder snail, and some live food. As far as low light, there are quite a few low light plants. My 15 gal is actually VERY low light, and I am growing very successfully 2 pennyworts and 5 crypt. wendtii. I do plan on upping my bulbs soon, but low light plants are pretty easy to find and take care of. I actually dont do anything special on lighting for any aqautic plants...I just make sure the lights are on in the tank for a while each day (at least 12 hours of darkness for the fish), and once a week put in my fert.

Was just looking at the Endler - they are so tiny and can be kept in a 5 gal. I'd like a DP but I'm worried i couldn't keep the water quality up to par, they are messy eaters, but that is a possibility. They are so cute. Need lots of plants, and this is a tank I saw on Craigslist, and it has a heater and top, but I doubt the light is right for live plants. I'm not sure about that?? I would love to do live plants because that is what I have in my other tanks. Thanks for the good suggestions. Shrimp tank would be cool, but I read it needs to be "old" and established. That would mean lots of patience :)

Hmm... 5 gallon... there are a few options. There is a shrimp tank, which is what I think I am going to do with my 5 gal. There is a pair of ADFs. The betta. Glowlight Danios would probably work. Even a handful of neons (5-6). You can also keep a dwarf puffer in a 5 gal. Three Glofish would work. (of course for any of these the tank needs to be heated as well as filtered, unless completely packed with plants). Byron also had posted a thread with an article on new super tiny fish species, all of which can be kept in a 5 gal if water parameters meet up. Hmm... there are a few more options, I just cant think of their names. I am tempted to say sparkling gourami, but they need to be in groups of 6, which is pushing it in a 5 gal. Or just a solo dwarf gourami would probably work in a 5 gal. Let me know if you need more suggestions and I can go digging around and see what else is a possibility.

I'm thinking of getting a 5 gal tank for my kitchen. What fish could I keep in such a small tank? I know a Betta, but I'm not that found of them or guppies. ADF I guess would be a good possibility. I'm wondering what you think? Thanks Amanda!

If the meds needed to treat that have that effect on beneficial bacteria, then yeah, I'd keep a constant alert tab in the tank for ammonia so you arent testing all day and do a water change when you see a spike. If you use one of the constant alert tabs, they will alert you very quickly, but it may take a couple of hours for it to reset. Or just do a daily 50% water change...whichever is easiest for you. But it sounds like that is a good thing. However, if you can get some live plants, especially stem ones, in the tank, that will help a lot with any spikes...if enough plants there might not even be a spike as they will absorb it all.

The only reason I'm not going to worry about seeding from another tank is I read that the meds does interfere with the beneficial bacteria and does not differentiate from good and bad bacteria, it's meant to kill it all.

And that is a good price on them as normally they are like $12 where I am at. I would mention to the shop that they are sick and ask them to discount them or at the very least sell you the meds for free with their purchase.

Hey Gwen...regarding the rainbows...if you put a handful or so of live plants into that spare tank, and seed the tank with gravel and/or decor from another established/cycled tank, if only the two of them are in there, that should be plenty (I just went through the whole seeding of the tank thing myself for my new 15g). I would think you wouldnt have to do that much of water changes if there will only be the 2 in the set up, and I would think that all those extra water changes would interact with the treatment. Basically, I am saying that if its seeded and planted you shouldnt have to worry about a cycle for just 2 fish in that size tank. Do you have another group of rainbows you will be adding them to? I am sure you know, but just incase, they need to be in a group of 6 and have a large and long tank when better as they are social and active fish. ;)

Hey, hoping you can answer this for me Amanda. I'm thinking now of buying 2 of the Bosemani Rainbows from Petco that have been there forever! They now have white mouth stuff. It's not fuzzy - it sounds like it's a bacteria infection that is treated with Maracyn. So, I'm thinking if I do set up a 10 gal tank I have, and put a heater in it, I do have a filter I'm not using (way to big for tank, but heck), and put them in that - it would not be cycled of course, so I'm guessing I'd have to do WC like everyday??? Is this what people do just to treat for 5 days or so (I have no idea how long the treatment is), and just do WC if the hospital tank isn't cycled. Of course I could put some gravel in the filter from my other tank, but that wouldn't cycle it. Not sure what to do, but I feel sorry for these guys. They've been there so long and no one will buy them now. They are very cheap, however $7.99 each - a real great price.
Need help!!! Gwen